An automatic sewing machine system which processes pallets containing workpieces is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,393 entitled "Sewing Machine Having Automatic Pallet Handling". This system processes pallets from an input location to a sewing location and thereafter to a remote location wherein a further pallet may be automatically processed from the input location to the sewing location. The processing of pallets to the sewing location is accomplished by a set of rotatable shelves that cooperate in a manner which allows first one edge of a pallet to be dropped before a second edge is dropped to the sewing location. The thus dropped pallet is locked to a carriage which is movable in the X and Y directions relative to a reciprocating sewing needle so as to thereby produce a desired stitch pattern on the workpiece. The completed workpiece within the pallet is returned to the location for receiving a dropped pallet from the input location. At this point, the pallet is unlocked from the automatic positioning system. A further mechanism, external to the automatic positioning system, releases an underlying support for the pallet. This allows the pallet to be engaged by an ejector mechanism which moves the pallet to a remote location so as to thereby allow another pallet to be attached to the automatic positioning system.
The aforementioned mechanisms for processing a pallet comprises a number of complex, interdependent mechanisms. The number and complexity of these interdependent mechanisms can interfere with accessing various portions of the sewing machine system. In particular, the structure for supporting the rotatable shelves at the input location occupies space directly in front of the automatic sewing machine. The ejector mechanism also occupies other space in front of the automatic sewing machine. Still other portions of the space in front of the automatic sewing machine are occupied by additional structure not shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,422,393. This additional structure may include a control console for the automatic sewing machine system. This latter structure in combination with the support structure for the shelves can make access to various portions of the system particularly difficult.